The Inquirer (Monrovia)
D. Webster Cassell
6 September 2008
The Ministry of Youth and Sports has said that it is under no obligation to sponsor members of SWAL or independent journalists to cover the ministry's programs or the activities of national teams.
Responding to a wide spread claims that the ministry intends to sell Liberia's remaining 2010 Nations Cup and World Cup qualifying football match with the Gambia to its counterpart, the sports ministry indicated that they may enlist the services of independent journalists when budgetary allotment allows.
In a release issued by the ministry, they termed as groundless the rumors that they ministry intends to sell Liberia's remaining 2010 Nations Cup and World Cup qualifying football match with the Gambia to its counterpart.
They claimed in the release that the Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL) issued a release this week suggesting that the ministry refused to sponsor an independent journalist from the association to the Gambia to cover the September 6, 2008 match.
In that release, the ministry quoted SWAL as saying "the ministry was now conducting the affairs of the National Football Team, a responsibility reserved for the Liberia Football Association."
In the release the ministry also rejected allegation that it has taken over the management of the National Football Team and added that the rumors are nothing but falsehood and have challenged any individual or institution to prove otherwise.
The ministry justified in the release by indicating that as an independent body, SWAL is expected to be responsible for the funding of its programs, including the travel of its members, rather than finding concealment for the failure to do so.
"SWAL is advised to find ways of collaborating with the ministry in efforts to promote sports in the country, rather than using misinformation to distract from gains being made by government, especially in recent times, to improve all local sporting disciplines, like the provision of subsidies to federations, hiring of a foreign coach for the National Football Team," the ministry noted.
At the same time, the sports ministry has failed to give reason why a financial official from that government ministry was selected to form part of the trip.
The ministry said that since they are steering the administrative arm of the national team it is under the obligation to take whoever they deem necessary for the trips.
The inclusion of a financial officer on the Gambia trip has also created doubts in the minds of followers of the game that there is undertone intention.
It is customary that the team manager of the Lone Star handles the financial dealing of the team and players when on foreign trips, but a shock inclusion of a financial officer and a pastor who was later dropped at the airport was very strange and needed clarification.
According to information gathered, the ministry included the pastor on the list of the delegation along with one Kesselley from the sports department, but to the utmost surprise, the two employees were dropped at the airport for what they referred to as financial constrains.
The question now is whether the funds allotted for the two employees would be put back in government's revenue.
The ministry also claimed that they are not aware of any memorandum existing between that ministry and the Sports Writers Association of Liberia (SWAL) demanding them to facilitate the transportation of an independent journalist.
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